Tired of BitLocker recovery screens and constant Windows login prompts? Here’s how I permanently disabled BitLocker and removed the password screen in Windows 10/11 – step-by-step.
If your Windows PC keeps asking for the BitLocker recovery key, gets stuck at a 2-hour decryption screen, or demands a password every time you start, you’re not alone.
I recently faced this nightmare on my Windows 11 laptop. Even after a reset, BitLocker came back the next day, and the constant login prompts drove me crazy.
After hours of trial and error, I found permanent fixes. Here’s the exact method that worked for me – from fixing BitLocker in Recovery Mode to removing the Windows login screen completely.
Step 1: Fix the BitLocker Boot Loop (From Recovery Menu)
If you can’t log into Windows and are stuck at BitLocker or the long “wait for 2 hours” decryption screen, follow these steps.
1. Check BitLocker Status
In the Recovery Command Prompt, type:
manage-bde -status
Check your Windows drive (C: or D:).
If it shows:
Percentage Encrypted: 100%
Protection Status: Protection On
BitLocker is still active.
2. Turn Off BitLocker Completely
Decrypt the drive:
manage-bde -off C:
(Replace C: with your actual Windows drive letter.)
Check progress:
manage-bde -status
Wait until:
Percentage Encrypted: 0%
Protection Status: Protection Off
3. Force Disable BitLocker if Stuck
If decryption doesn’t progress:
manage-bde -protectors -disable C:
manage-bde -protectors -delete C:
manage-bde -off C:
4. Repair Bootloader (If BitLocker Reappears)
Sometimes BitLocker keeps coming back due to boot issues. Fix it with:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Restart. BitLocker should no longer trigger.
Step 2: Remove Unwanted User Accounts (Optional)
After a reset, you may have multiple user accounts. Remove them directly from Recovery:
-
Load Windows User Database (SAM Hive):
reg load HKLM\temp-sam C:\Windows\System32\config\SAM
-
List Users:
reg query HKLM\temp-sam\SAM\Domains\Account\Users\Names
You’ll see:
Administrator
YourUserName
TestUser
-
Delete the Unwanted User:
reg delete “HKLM\temp-sam\SAM\Domains\Account\Users\Names\TestUser” /f
-
Unload the Hive:
reg unload HKLM\temp-sam
Step 3: Boot Into Windows Normally
After the above steps, I was finally able to boot into Windows without BitLocker screens.
But there was still one problem – the login and password prompt every time I started my laptop. I decided to remove it completely.
Step 4: Remove the Windows Login and Password Screen
I tested multiple methods. Here’s what worked best.
1. Remove Password (Set a Blank Password)
Open Command Prompt (Admin):
net user YourUserName “”
Replace YourUserName with your actual username. This sets a blank password.
2. Auto Login Without Any Prompt
Press Win + R and type netplwiz.
-
Select your account.
-
Uncheck “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.”
-
Enter your password once (if you had one earlier).
Restart. Windows now logs in automatically.
3. Disable Lock Screen
Press Win + R and type regedit.
Go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization
(If Personalization doesn’t exist, create it.)
Inside it, create a DWORD (32-bit):
NoLockScreen
Set it to 1.
4. No Password After Sleep or Wake-Up
Open Command Prompt (Admin):
powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_NONE CONSOLELOCK 0
powercfg /SETACTIVE SCHEME_CURRENT
5. One-Time Script to Do It All
Finally, I combined everything into one script. Run this in Command Prompt (Admin):
net user YourUserName “”
reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon” /v AutoAdminLogon /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon” /v DefaultUsername /t REG_SZ /d YourUserName /f
reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon” /v DefaultPassword /t REG_SZ /d “” /f
powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_NONE CONSOLELOCK 0
powercfg /SETACTIVE SCHEME_CURRENT
reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization” /v NoLockScreen /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
After restarting, my Windows now boots straight to the desktop – no BitLocker, no password, no lock screen.
Quick Summary (For Busy Readers)
-
Disable BitLocker: manage-bde -off C:
-
Repair Boot Issues: bootrec /fixmbr, bootrec /rebuildbcd
-
Remove Login: net user YourUserName “”
-
Auto Login and Skip Lock Screen: Use netplwiz or the one-time script above.
In The End…
After days of frustration, these steps finally gave me a smooth Windows experience:
-
BitLocker disabled permanently
-
No more boot or recovery loops
-
Password-free, auto-login Windows startup
If you’re stuck in the same situation, follow these steps carefully, and you’ll have your PC back to normal in no time.
You may also try this… it may work. Also, don’t forget to install Microsoft Authenticator on your phone and link your PC and phone with it. It really comes handy.